Wireless communications system and method

Abstract

A wireless communication system includes a smart device configured for transcribing text-to-speech (STT) for display. The smart device interfaces with a radio communications device, for example, in an aircraft (AC). The system includes a filter for optimizing STT functions. Such functions are further optimized by restricting the databases of information, including geographic locations, aircraft identifications and carrier information, whereby the database search functions are optimized. Methods for wireless communications using smart devices and STT functionality are disclosed.

Having this described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. A speech-to-text (STT) avionics transcription system for transcribing radio frequency (RF) communications transmitted from and received on board an aircraft (AC), the system comprising:
 a smart device configured for receiving said RF communications; 
 said smart device including a display visible to aircrew; and 
 an STT program installed and running on said smart device, said STT program configured for converting said RF communications to digital text for display on said smart device, 
 said STT program including a localization function configured for optimizing communications by maximizing probabilities of accurate identifications in converting said RF communications to digital text based on AC proximity to respective geographic locations along AC flight paths, 
 the localization function including a call sign hierarchy function assigning probabilities to call signs in sets of I) all call signs, II) localized call signs, and III) air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs, 
 wherein the localized call signs set is a subset of the all call signs set, and localized call signs in the localized call signs subset have higher probabilities than call signs not included in the localized call signs subset, and 
 wherein the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs set is a subset of the localized call signs subset, and air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs in the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs subset have higher probabilities than call signs not included in the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs subset. 
 
     
     
       2. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 1 , which includes:
 a radio communications device onboard said AC and configured for transmitting and receiving said RF communications; 
 said radio communications device configured for selective connection to said smart device; and 
 an audio subsystem onboard said AC, connected to said radio communications device and configured for output of said communications to aircrew. 
 
     
     
       3. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 2 , which includes:
 said radio communications device and said smart device being interconnected via one of a hardwired or wireless connection; and 
 a Y-connector including a first connection to said radio communications device, a second connection to said audio subsystem and a third connection to said smart device. 
 
     
     
       4. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 3 , which includes:
 said radio communications device comprising a multiple-channel communications radio; and said multiple-channel communications radio is configured for monitoring: 
 a primary communications channel for communicating with air traffic control (ATC) and other AC; and 
 a secondary channel for weather and emergency communications. 
 
     
     
       5. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 2 , which includes an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) device onboard said AC and connected to said radio communications device. 
     
     
       6. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 3 , which includes a machine learning cluster configured for training said STT program, said machine learning cluster configured for receiving untrained model and training data input and providing trained model output. 
     
     
       7. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 3 , wherein said aircrew can access said communications audibly and/or visually. 
     
     
       8. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 3 , wherein said STT avionics transcription system includes: cabin filtering, voice activity detection (VAD), feature extraction, an inference-neural network (acoustic model), decoder language model and natural language processing. 
     
     
       9. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 3 , wherein said STT avionics transcription system includes:
 an inference-neural network (acoustic model) configured to receive acoustic model inference processing input; and 
 a decoder (language model) configured to receive language model decoding input. 
 
     
     
       10. The avionics system according to  claim 3 , which includes:
 a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) onboard said AC and configured for generating a GNSS-defined AC location of said AC; and 
 and a database localization feature utilizing said GNSS-defined AC location. 
 
     
     
       11. The speech-to-text avionics system according to  claim 1 , which includes:
 a database server located remotely from said aircraft and configured for interfacing with said smart device via a cloud network. 
 
     
     
       12. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 4 , wherein said multiple-channel communications radio is configured for multi-frequency transmitting and receiving. 
     
     
       13. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 4 , wherein said multiple-channel communications radio includes a primary frequency and multiple secondary frequencies, said multiple-channel communications radio configured for receiving and transmitting on said primary frequency and said multiple secondary frequencies. 
     
     
       14. The STT avionics transcription system according to  claim 1 , which includes:
 a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) subsystem configured for locating an aircraft with said avionics system on board; and 
 said STT avionics transcription system configured for optimizing performance by localizing said aircraft with said GNSS-defined position data. 
 
     
     
       15. A speech-to-text (STT) avionics transcription system for transcribing radio frequency (RF) communications transmitted from and received on board an aircraft (AC), which system includes:
 a smart device configured for receiving said communications; 
 said smart device including a display visible to aircrew; 
 a STT program installed and running on said smart device, said STT program configured for converting said communications to digital text for display on said smart device, 
 said STT program including a localization function configured for optimizing communications by maximizing probabilities of accurate identifications in converting said RF communications to digital text based on AC proximity to respective geographic locations along AC flight paths, 
 said localization function includes a call sign hierarchy function assigning probabilities to call signs in sets of I) all call signs, II) localized call signs, and III) air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs, 
 wherein the localized call signs set is a subset of the all call signs set, and localized call signs in the localized call signs subset have higher probabilities than call signs not included in the localized call signs subset, and 
 wherein the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs set is a subset of the localized call signs subset, and air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs in the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs subset have higher probabilities than call signs not included in the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs subset, 
 said STT program being configured to account for regional speaker dialects, multiple languages, and speech context; 
 a radio communications device onboard said AC and configured for transmitting and receiving said RF communications; 
 said radio communications device configured for selective connection to said smart device; 
 an audio subsystem onboard said AC, connected to said radio communications device and configured for output of said communications to aircrew; 
 said radio communications device and said smart device being interconnected via one of a hardwired or wireless connection; 
 a Y-connector including a first connection to said radio communications device, a second connection to said AC audio subsystem and a third connection to said smart device; 
 said radio communications device comprising a multiple-channel communications radio; and said multiple-channel communications radio is configured for monitoring: a primary communications channel for communicating with air traffic control (ATC) and other AC; and a secondary channel for weather and emergency communications; 
 an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) device onboard said AC and connected to said radio communications device; 
 a machine learning cluster configured for training said STT program, said machine learning cluster configured for receiving untrained model and training data input and providing trained model output; 
 said STT avionics transcription system including: cabin filtering, voice activity detection (VAD), feature extraction, inference-neural network (acoustic model), decoder language model and natural language processing; 
 said STT avionics transcription system including: the inference-neural network (acoustic model) receiving acoustic model inference processing input; and a decoder (language model) receiving language model decoding input; 
 a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) onboard said AC and configured for generating a GNSS-defined AC location of said AC; and 
 a database localization feature utilizing said GNSS-defined AC location. 
 
     
     
       16. A wireless communications method including the steps of:
 providing a smart device configured for receiving communications; 
 providing said smart device with a display visible to aircrew; and 
 installing on said smart device an STT program and running on said smart device, 
 said STT program configured for converting said communications to digital text for display on said smart device, 
 said STT program including a localization function configured for optimizing communications by maximizing probabilities of accurate identifications in converting said RF communications to digital text based on AC proximity to respective geographic locations along AC flight paths, 
 the localization function including a call sign hierarchy function assigning probabilities to call signs in sets of I) all call signs, II) localized call signs, and III) air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs, 
 wherein the localized call signs set is a subset of the all call signs set, and localized call signs in the localized call signs subset have higher probabilities than call signs not included in the localized call signs subset, and 
 wherein the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs set is a subset of the localized call signs subset, and air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs in the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs subset have higher probabilities than call signs not included in the air traffic and ADS-B traffic call signs subset. 
 
     
     
       17. The wireless communication method according to  claim 16 , which includes the additional steps of:
 providing a radio communications device selectively connected to said smart device; and 
 optimizing performance of said wireless communications method using one or more of aircraft identification in an avionics application and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning information. 
 
     
     
       18. The wireless communication method according to  claim 16 , which includes the additional filtering steps of:
 providing an audio frame for receiving audio signals; 
 defining a signal window; 
 applying a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to said audio signals; and 
 applying a truncated spectral slope and power ratio filter to said audio signals. 
 
     
     
       19. The speech-to-text (STT) avionics transcription system according to  claim 1 , wherein the localization function is a database localization function based on a current location of the aircraft defining a circular geographical area of interest with a predetermined radius. 
     
     
       20. The speech-to-text (STT) avionics transcription system according to  claim 15 , wherein the localization function is a database localization function based on a current location of the aircraft defining a circular geographical area of interest with a predetermined radius. 
     
     
       21. The wireless communication method according to  claim 16 , wherein the localization function is a database localization function based on a current location of the aircraft defining a circular geographical area of interest with a predetermined radius.